JP4795183B2 - Processing apparatus, control method therefor, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a processing apparatus such as a digital multi-function peripheral, a control method thereof, and a program for executing the control method .

  Conventionally, as a technique in which a user preferentially uses a digital multi-function peripheral in a specific time zone (hereinafter, such use is abbreviated as “occupied use” or “occupied”), there is an exclusive reservation service. In this exclusive reservation service, when a user reserves a print job for a digital multifunction peripheral, the user preferentially occupies and uses the digital multifunction peripheral in a specific time zone for the reserved job. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

The above-described exclusive reservation service is for performing priority processing of job processing and rejecting processing of jobs of other users in one digital multi-function peripheral. In a printing system configured with a plurality of conventional digital multifunction peripherals that enable such an exclusive reservation service, each device accepts the exclusive reservation service independently.
JP 2000-242460 A

  However, although the above-described conventional reservation service for digital multi-function peripherals can improve the convenience of users who print a large number of jobs, it limits the convenience of users who print a few pages of a small amount of jobs irregularly. There was a problem that.

  In other words, the above-described conventional printing system does not have a configuration in which the exclusive reservation of the digital multi-function peripheral is linked between the devices. For this reason, there is a possibility that a user who performs mass job printing sets an exclusive reservation in all the digital multifunction peripherals in a specific time zone in order to secure an exclusive time frame. In contrast, a general user who prints a small amount of jobs irregularly does not use the exclusive reservation service in the first place, and therefore tries to use a digital multi-function peripheral in which an exclusive reservation is not set. However, if an exclusive reservation is set for all digital multi-function peripherals, general users cannot use all devices during that time period.

In view of the above-described conventional problems, the present invention eliminates the fact that an exclusive reservation for a specific period is set in all of a plurality of devices in a system capable of exclusive reservation, and some of the plurality of devices It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing device that improves the convenience of general users who do not use an exclusive reservation service by prohibiting an apparatus from accepting an exclusive reservation for a specific period. Moreover, it aims at providing such a control method and a program.

In order to achieve the above object, a processing device of the present invention is a processing device capable of communicating with a plurality of devices, and reservation information related to a reservation for preferential use in which a user preferentially uses a device for a certain period of time . Storage means for storing each device , detection means for referring to the reservation information, detecting the number of devices that have no reservation for preferential use in a specific period, and a number detected by the detection means characterized in that but with a control means for controlling such a case a predetermined number, does not accept the priority of use reservation of the specific period versus the device is not reserved for priority use in the specific period of time .
The processing device of the present invention is a processing device capable of communicating with another processing device, and stores reservation information regarding a reservation for using a specific device for a certain period for each of the processing device and the other processing device. Storage means, detection means for detecting the number of the processing apparatus and the other processing apparatuses that have no reservation in a specific period, with reference to the reservation information, and the number detected by the detection means is predetermined. In the case where the number is a number, control means is provided for controlling a processing apparatus that has no reservation in the specific period so as not to accept a reservation for the specific period.

  According to the present invention, an exclusive reservation for a specific period is excluded from being set in all of a plurality of devices, and an exclusive reservation for the specific period is accepted in some of the plurality of devices. By prohibiting, it becomes possible to improve the convenience of general users who do not use exclusive reservation of devices.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
<Configuration of printing system>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system including a digital multi-function peripheral that is a processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

  In this printing system, digital multifunction peripherals 10, 20, 30 and host computers 40, 50 are connected by a local area network (LAN) 90.

  The digital multi-function peripherals 10, 20, and 30 are equipped with scanners and printers and have an image input / output function, and are used to input an image from a paper document and print an image on paper. It is also possible to print the input image on paper, save the input image as digital data, or transfer the digital data to another device via the LAN. These digital multi-function peripherals can also receive print data from the host computers 40 and 50 and image information from other digital multi-function peripherals, and print out images on paper.

  As described above, in the printing system, by connecting the respective devices via the LAN 90, in addition to the single processing that has been conventionally processed, the processing linked between the devices is performed.

<Configuration of controller unit>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the controller unit of the digital multi-function peripheral in FIG.

  The controller unit 100 is connected to the scanner 130 and the printer 140, and is connected to the LAN 90 to control input / output of image data and device information.

  The internal modules of the controller unit 100 are connected by an internal bus 1000. The CPU 1100 is a processor that controls the entire system. A RAM 1110 is a system work memory for operating the CPU 1100, and is also an image memory for temporarily storing image data.

  A ROM 1120 is a boot ROM, and stores a system boot program. An HDD 1130 is a hard disk drive, and stores system software (bootable), image data, software counter values, and the like. The system software is a program for realizing functions such as a copy / scan / printer, and is expanded on the RAM 1110 and operates.

  The software counter value has a counter area for each paper size and a counter area for each data processing capacity, and is calculated based on an arbitrary reference capacity value set in advance based on the number of output images and the data capacity processed by the CPU 1100. Up is done. The counter value is not limited to the HDD 1130, and the storage area may be stored in an unillustrated EEPROM or the like as long as the counter value can be stored even when the power is turned off.

  A LANC 1200 is connected to the LAN 90 and inputs / outputs image data and information related to device control. In addition, image data for output is received between the host computers 40 and 50 on the network and the other digital multifunction devices 20 and 30, and image output is performed. Conversely, image data input by the own device is transmitted. It is also possible.

  A printer I / F 1400 is connected to the printer 140, communicates with the CPU of the printer 140, and performs synchronous / asynchronous conversion of image data. A scanner I / F 1300 is connected to the scanner 130, communicates with the CPU of the scanner 130, and performs synchronous / asynchronous conversion of image data. Further, a document feeder 160 is connected to the end of the scanner 130 so that a plurality of paper originals can be set and the originals can be input continuously.

  The operation unit I / F 1500 is an interface unit with the operation unit 180 and outputs image data to be displayed on the operation unit 180. Also, it plays a role of transmitting information input by the system user from the operation unit 180 to the CPU 1100. The input operation in the operation unit 180 is recognized and processed by a program executed by the CPU 1100 through the operation unit IF 1500, and copying and scanning processing can be performed by setting the entire device and instructing execution of functions.

  The clock 1600 provides date and time information. It can be accessed from the CPU 1100 and allows the user to use the exclusive reservation service based on the reservation information and the date / time information that are the features of the present embodiment. Although not shown in the figure, date and time information is retained even when the power of the device is turned off.

The user table 1650 is a table for managing users who use the device.
The reservation management table 1700 is a characteristic part of the present embodiment, and holds exclusive reservation information. Information managed in the table differs according to the set value of the reservation master flag 1720. Details will be described later.

  The reservation cooperation list 1710 is a list that holds information for specifying a digital multifunction peripheral that cooperates with the exclusive reservation service, and the format is not limited as long as it is information for specifying a digital multifunction peripheral. For example, a unique name or an IP address of the device can be considered. It is assumed that each device is set by the operation unit 180 when the printing system is introduced.

  The reservation master flag 1720 is a flag that holds information of “true” when the device is set as the master device and “false” when the device is set as the reservation slave device in the exclusive reservation service. This flag can be set by the operation unit 180. It is assumed that “false” is held as an initial value, and only “master” is set to “true” when the printing system is introduced.

  The reservation master device name holding unit 1730 is information for specifying a master device in the exclusive reservation service, and is used for specifying a device that is a request destination of a reservation request. The operation unit 180 includes a touch panel and push buttons. The touch panel serves as an input device for displaying an image and inputting an instruction by touching the surface of the user. The push button is used to instruct an operation such as inputting a numerical value with the numeric keypad or starting a copy process. The user table 1650 is a table that holds a user name and a personal identification number as a set. The reservation cooperation list 1710 is a list that holds unique names of devices that cooperate with the exclusive reservation service.

<Reservation management table>
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the reservation management table 1700 in FIG.

  As shown in the figure, the reservation management table 1700 is a list of reservation dates, reservation start times, reservation end times, reservation statuses, device names, and user names.

  “Reservation” indicating the reservation status indicates that there is a reservation, and “prohibited” indicates that an exclusive reservation cannot be made. The exclusive reservation service according to the present embodiment is composed of one master machine and a plurality of slave machines. In the master machine, the reservation management table 1700 includes its own machine and manages the reservation statuses of all the linked devices in one table. The slave machine manages the reservation status of only its own machine in a table.

<User operation in exclusive reservation service>
Next, operations performed by the user in the exclusive reservation service according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 10 show a user interface (UI) related to the operation of the exclusive reservation service according to the present embodiment, that is, a display on the touch panel 181 of the operation unit 180. FIG.

(A) Ready State FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a ready screen of the digital multi-function peripheral.

  On the ready screen of the digital multi-function peripheral, “Copying is possible” is displayed as shown in FIG. 4, and the digital multi-function peripheral is in a ready state in which a copy operation is possible.

  In FIG. 4, 2001 is a copy tab, 2002 is a transmission tab, and 2003 is an exclusive reservation tab. When the user presses the touch panel of each tab portion, the menu is switched, and each function can be used. When the copy function is used, the copy tab 2001 is pressed. When transmitting scanned image data to another device on the LAN 90, a transmission tab 2002 is pressed. When the exclusive reservation service, which is a feature of the present embodiment, is performed, an exclusive reservation tab 2003 is pressed.

(B) Login for exclusive reservation FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a user login screen when the exclusive reservation service is used in the digital multi-functional peripheral.

  On the user login screen, as shown in FIG. 5, the user name is displayed in an area 2051 and the user name is selected with a scroll button 2052. The selectable user names are based on the user names held in the user table 1650. The login password is entered using the numeric keypad. The password is not displayed and is masked with the “*” symbol.

  When the user selects the user name and inputs the password, the user presses the confirmation button 2054 and proceeds to the free time confirmation screen shown in FIG. When canceling the exclusive reservation service and returning to the ready screen of FIG. 4, a cancel button 2055 is pressed.

(C) Occupancy Reservation Free Time Confirmation FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a free time confirmation screen when the digital multifunction peripheral uses the exclusive reservation service.

  The reservation date is input using the numeric keypad of the operation unit 180. The input date is reflected in the date display unit 2101. The date can be changed back and forth with the scroll button 2102. When the reservation date is selected, the reservation status is displayed. The user moves the time zone to be displayed up and down with the scroll buttons 2104 and confirms the availability of the desired time zone. In the example of the figure, from 7:00 to 10:00 is an empty state, from 10:00 to 11:00 is reserved, and from 11:00 to 12:00 is an exclusive reservation. Indicates prohibited. When the user presses an area 2103 indicating a vacant state, the screen proceeds to a screen for making an exclusive reservation in the same time zone.

  If the desired time has already been reserved, it may be desired to cancel the use of the exclusive reservation service. In that case, the user can press the cancel button 2105 to return to the ready screen of FIG.

(D) Execution of Exclusive Reservation FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a reservation execution screen when the exclusive reservation service is used in the digital multifunction peripheral.

  In this reservation execution screen, the time zone to be reserved is finely adjusted based on the time zone selected on the free time confirmation screen in FIG. 6, and the reservation is executed. 2201 in the figure indicates the start time. The start time can be adjusted by operating the scroll button 2202 within the free time zone. 2203 indicates an end time. The end time can be adjusted in the range of the free time zone by operating the scroll button 2204. When the desired time zone is determined, the reservation execution button 2210 is pressed to execute the reservation.

  If it is desired to check and change the free time again, the return button 2211 is pressed to return to the free time check screen of FIG.

(E) Confirmation of Exclusive Reservation Result FIGS. 8 and 9 are diagrams showing confirmation screens of execution results of exclusive reservation when the exclusive reservation service is used in the digital multi-functional peripheral. FIG. 8 shows a screen displayed when the reservation is normally accepted, and FIG. 9 shows a screen displayed when the reservation is not accepted. In either case, pressing the end button 2401 or 2601 returns to the ready screen in FIG.

(F) State at Reservation Start Time FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a screen displayed when the reservation start time is reached in the digital multi-functional peripheral.

  When the reservation start time is reached, the user name, reservation start time / reservation end time are displayed on the screen as shown in FIG.

  2801 in the figure is an exclusive reservation tab, which indicates that the exclusive reservation is in progress. 2802 indicates the current date and time. In the example of FIG. 10, “9:05” of “2006/06/06” is shown.

  The user who has executed the exclusive reservation uses the numeric keypad to enter the personal identification number into the personal identification number display unit 2803 and presses the confirmation button 2804 in order to use the device. When a valid password is entered, the ready screen of FIG. 4 is displayed, and the user can occupy the digital multi-function peripheral from the reservation start time to the reservation end time by eliminating jobs from other users.

<Flow of exclusive reservation processing>
Next, the flow of processing (hereinafter referred to as exclusive reservation processing) executed by the exclusive reservation service according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a flow of exclusive reservation processing used on the printing system according to the first embodiment. FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams showing time zones in which each digital multi-function peripheral is reserved for exclusive use. FIG. 12A shows the reservation status of the printing system before a certain exclusive reservation is made. FIG. 4B shows the reservation status of the printing system after a certain exclusive reservation is made. The user tries to make an exclusive reservation for MFP-B in the state shown in FIG.

  FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C are diagrams showing the format of an exclusive reservation-related command used for exclusive reservation processing. FIG. 13A shows a reservation request command, and FIG. ) Shows a reservation response command, and FIG. 10C shows a reservation prohibition command. FIGS. 14A, 14B, and 15 show transitions of the reservation management table 1700. FIG. 14A shows the initial state, FIG. 14B shows the state after accepting the reservation, and FIG. The state after exclusive reservation is prohibited is shown.

  In the example shown in FIG. 11, the digital multifunction peripheral 10 (MFP-A) is assigned as the master machine for the exclusive reservation service, and the digital multifunction peripherals 20 (MFP-B) and 30 (MFP-C) are assigned as the slave machines for the exclusive reservation. Is assigned.

  For example, it is assumed that the user 20a makes an occupancy reservation indicating that he / she wants to occupy the digital multi-function peripheral 20 between 9:00 and 10:00. Then, the exclusive reservation in the digital multifunction device 20 is completed, and the digital multifunction device 30 prohibits the acceptance of the exclusive reservation from 9:00 to 10:00 (reservation before the exclusive reservation is performed). FIG. 12 (a) showing the situation and FIG. 12 (b) showing the reservation situation after the exclusive reservation is made. This prevents an exclusive reservation for a certain time period from being made by all devices (here, MFP-A, MFP-B, and MFP-C). In the case of FIG. 12B, the exclusive reservation between 9:00 and 10:00 is prohibited in the MFP-C, and as a result, the exclusive reservation in this time zone is not accepted.

Hereinafter, the exclusive reservation processing of the present embodiment for obtaining such a result will be described in order in the following three phases.
(A) Reservation request phase (B) Reservation response phase (C) Reservation prohibition phase (A) Reservation request phase The user 20a operates the operation unit 180 of the digital multi-function peripheral 20, and follows the above-described procedures from FIG. 4 to FIG. Execute exclusive reservation. Then, the digital multi-function peripheral 20 sends a reservation request command to the digital multi-function peripheral 10 (MFP-A) that is the master machine (T1 in FIG. 11). As shown in FIG. 13A, the reservation request command includes parameters of a user name, a reservation date, a reservation start time, and a reservation end time.

  In this state, the reservation management table 1700 is in the state shown in FIG.

(B) Reservation Response Phase Upon receiving the reservation request command, the digital multifunction peripheral 10 refers to the reservation management table 1700 to check whether or not the time zone indicated by the reservation request command can be reserved, and the reservation response command is digitally combined. Reply to the machine 20 (T2 in FIG. 11). As shown in FIG. 13B, the reservation response command is composed of parameters of user name, reservation date, reservation start time, reservation end time, and reservation status.

  The status of the reservation status reflects “OK” or “NG” as a result of checking the reservation management table 1700 of the master machine. When the exclusive reservation is possible, the status of the reservation status is “NG”. On the other hand, when the exclusive reservation is impossible, the status of the reservation status is “OK”. The digital multi-function peripheral 20 that has received the reservation response command is in a state in which reservation is complete or reservation is not possible, as shown in FIGS. In this example, a reservation response command including “OK” is transmitted from the digital multifunction peripheral 10 to the digital multifunction peripheral 20, and the digital multifunction peripheral 20 enters a reservation complete state. The reservation management table 1700 is in the state shown in FIG.

  Then, the digital multifunction peripherals 10 and 20 add the exclusive reservation to the reservation management table 1700. That is, the digital multifunction peripheral 10 serving as the master machine has “reservation date: 2006/06/06, reservation start time: 9:00, reservation end time: 10:00, device name: MFP-B (digital multifunction peripheral 20). , User name: tanaka "is added. The digital multi-function device 20 as a slave device has “reservation date: 2006/06/06, reservation start time: 9:00, reservation end time: 10:00, device name: MFP-B (digital multi-function device 20), user A reservation record indicating “name: tanaka” is added.

(C) Reservation Prohibition Phase As a result of receiving the reservation request command, the digital multifunction peripheral 10 as the master device checks whether there is one remaining device that has no exclusive reservation in the time zone indicated by the reservation request command. As a result of checking, if there is only one remaining device, a reservation prohibit command is sent to the device corresponding to the remaining device (T3 in FIG. 11). In the following, it is checked whether there is one remaining device with no exclusive reservation, but this may be checked with a predetermined number (one or more) of devices with no exclusive reservation. Needless to say.

  In this example, a reservation is added to the digital multifunction device 20 in the time zone from 9:00 to 10:00, and as a result, a device that has not been reserved for that time zone is the digital multifunction device 30 (MFP-C). ). For this reason, a reservation prohibit command is sent to the digital multi-function peripheral 30. As shown in FIG. 13C, the reservation prohibition command is composed of parameters of prohibition date, prohibition start time, and prohibition end time.

  The reservation management table 1700 is in the state shown in FIG. The digital multi-function peripheral 30 (MFP-C) adds a reservation prohibition state to the reservation management table 1700. That is, the digital multifunction peripheral 10 serving as the master machine has “reservation date: 2006/06/06, reservation start time: 9:00, reservation end time: 10:00, device name: MFP-C, status: prohibited”. Add a record that prohibits reservation. Similarly, the digital multifunction machine 30 (MFP-C), which is a slave machine, also has “Reservation date: 2006/06/06, Reservation start time: 9:00, Reservation end time: 10:00, Device name: MFP-C. , Status: Prohibited ”is added to the reservation prohibition record.

<Internal device processing related to exclusive reservation processing>
(A) Reservation execution flow FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing a reservation execution process according to the first embodiment.

  This process is executed by the digital multi-function peripheral in which the user performs the exclusive reservation service execution operation. In this process, an exclusive reservation is executed by a user's operation, a reservation request command is sent to the master machine, a reservation response command is received, and the reservation management table 1700 is stored after determining whether or not the reservation is complete. This is a process from updating to notifying the user. Hereinafter, a specific description will be given with reference to FIG.

  First, in step S1000, execution of exclusive reservation from the user is accepted, and the process proceeds to step S1001. This step is a state where the reservation execution button 2210 in FIG. 7 is pressed. In the next step S1001, a reservation request command is sent to the exclusive reservation master machine held in the reservation master device name holding unit 1730, and the process proceeds to step S1002. This step S1001 is the reservation request phase T1 described in FIG.

  In step S1002, a reservation response command sent from the exclusive reservation master machine is received, and the flow advances to step S1003. This step S1002 corresponds to the reservation response phase T2 described in FIG.

  In step S1003, it is determined whether or not the status of the reservation response command received from the master machine indicates that reservation is possible. If the status is OK, the process proceeds to step S1004. If the status is NG, the process proceeds to step S1006. In step S1004, a reservation record is added as reservation information to the reservation management table 1700, and the process proceeds to step S1005. In step S1005, the user is notified of the completion of reservation, and the process ends. At this time, the reservation completion screen shown in FIG. 8 is displayed. In step S1006, the user is notified that reservation is not possible, and the process is terminated. At this time, a reservation impossible screen shown in FIG. 9 is displayed.

(B) Reservation acceptance flow FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing reservation acceptance processing in the first embodiment. This process is executed by the digital multifunction peripheral assigned to the master machine.

  In this process, a reservation request command is received, the reservation management table 1700 is referred to, whether or not reservation is possible is determined, and a reservation response command is transmitted. In addition, when there is one remaining device that does not have an exclusive reservation in the time period indicated by the reservation request command among devices that cooperate with exclusive reservation, a reservation prohibit command is sent to the remaining one device. . Hereinafter, a specific description will be given with reference to FIG.

  First, in step S2000, a reservation request command is received, and the process proceeds to step S2001. In step S2001, it is checked whether the exclusive reservation is possible based on the information indicated by the reservation request command and the reservation information in the reservation management table 1700. For example, when the time zone indicated by the reservation request command is a time zone in which exclusive reservation is prohibited, it is determined that exclusive reservation is not possible. If the exclusive reservation is possible, the process proceeds to step S2003, and if the exclusive reservation is not possible, the process proceeds to step S2009. If it is determined in step S2002 that the reservation is possible, first, in step S2003, a reservation response command with the reservation status set to OK is transmitted to the transmission source of the reservation request command, and the process proceeds to step S2004.

  In step S2004, a reservation record is added as reservation information to the reservation management table 1700, and the process proceeds to step S2005. In step S2005, the received reservation request command / reservation linkage list / reservation management table 1700 is referred to confirm the remaining number of devices that have no exclusive reservation in the reservation complete time zone, and the process proceeds to step S2006.

  In step S2006, if the remaining number of devices that do not have an exclusive reservation is one in the time slot when the reservation is completed, the process proceeds to step S2007, and if not, the process ends. In step S2007, a reservation prohibit command is sent to one device that does not have an exclusive reservation in the reservation completed time zone, and the process proceeds to step S2008. In step S2008, a reservation prohibition record is added as reservation prohibition information to the reservation management table 1700, and the process ends.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2002 that the reservation is not possible, in step S2009, a reservation response command with a reservation status of NG is sent to the transmission source of the reservation request command, and the process ends.

(C) Reservation Prohibition Flow FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a reservation prohibition process according to the first embodiment.

  This process is executed by the digital multi-function peripheral that has received the reservation prohibition command.

  First, in step S3000, a reservation prohibit command is received, and the process proceeds to step S3001. In step S3001, a reservation prohibition record is added to the reservation management table 1700 as reservation prohibition information, and the process ends.

<Advantages of this embodiment>
19 and 20 are diagrams for explaining problems in the conventional printing system.

  As shown in the conventional printing system, since exclusive reservation is not linked between devices, a time zone in which all devices are reserved exclusively is shown.

  When attention is paid to the time zone of 9:00 in FIG. 20, the user 10a for the digital multi-function peripheral 10 ′ (MFP-A ′) and the user 20a for the digital multi-function peripheral 20 ′ (MFP-B ′) respectively Is used exclusively. In addition, the digital multifunction peripheral 30 '(MFP-C') is exclusively used by the user 30a after making an exclusive reservation. In the meantime, even if the user 50a tries to perform printing processing from the host computer 50 to the digital multi-function peripheral 30 ', the digital multi-function peripheral 30' cannot be printed because the user 30a is making an exclusive reservation.

  Similarly, since the digital multifunction peripheral 10 ′ and the digital multifunction peripheral 20 ′ are also exclusively reserved, the user 50a cannot perform the printing process until 10:00 when the digital multifunction peripheral 30 ′ is not reserved exclusively (FIG. 20). W11).

  In contrast, the printing system according to the present embodiment has the following advantages.

  21 and 22 are diagrams for explaining the advantages of the printing system according to the present embodiment.

  In the example of FIGS. 21 and 22, when the digital multifunction peripherals 10 (MFP-A) and 20 (MFP-B) are reserved, the exclusive reservation of the digital multifunction peripheral 30 (MFP-C) is prohibited, and the digital multifunction peripheral 30 shows a state where 30 is opened to a general user as a shared device.

  When attention is paid to the time zone of 9:00 in FIG. 22, the user 10a for the digital multi-function peripheral 10 and the user 20a for the digital multi-function peripheral 20 make exclusive use after making an exclusive reservation. In addition, the digital multifunction device 30 is released as a shared device because exclusive reservation is prohibited. For this reason, the user 30 a can use and print from the user 50 a of the host computer 50.

  Although the user 30a cannot occupy the digital multifunction peripheral 30, it is possible to avoid a situation in which a general user who uses the host computer 50 cannot use for a long time to perform the printing process.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to leave one shared device without an exclusive reservation by arranging exclusive reservations in cooperation between devices. As a result, a general user who executes a print job without reservation does not have to wait for a long time while executing a large number of jobs.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the example in which the printing system is configured by one master machine that centrally manages reservation information and a plurality of slave machines that hold only reservation information of the own apparatus has been described. In the second embodiment, there is no distinction between a master device and a slave device as in the first embodiment, reservation information is managed only by individual devices, and reservation information is collected between devices that cooperate during reservation execution. It is comprised so that it may perform.

<Controller unit>
FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a controller unit of a digital multi-function peripheral that is a processing apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  The difference from the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is that the reservation master flag 1720 and the reservation master device name holding unit 1730 are omitted, and a reservation state temporary storage table 1750 is provided instead.

  The reservation state temporary storage table 1750 temporarily stores the result of collecting reservation information from devices that cooperate in executing a reservation. This stores the reservation status of the linked device during the reservation execution time, and is used to check the number of devices without reservation and the device name.

  FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of the reservation state temporary storage table in FIG.

  The reservation state temporary storage table is a table for storing information of a reservation state response command to be described later, and includes a reservation date, a reservation start time, a reservation end time, a reservation status, and a device name as shown in FIG. To do.

<User operation in exclusive reservation service>
The user operation in the exclusive reservation service is the same as in the first embodiment. The user performs the same operation as in the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS.

<Flow of exclusive reservation processing>
Next, the flow of exclusive reservation processing according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram illustrating a flow of exclusive reservation processing used on the printing system according to the second embodiment. 26 (a) and 26 (b) are diagrams showing time zones in which each digital multi-function peripheral is reserved for exclusive use. FIG. 26 (a) shows the reservation status of the printing system before a certain exclusive reservation is made. FIG. 4B shows the reservation status of the printing system after a certain exclusive reservation is made. The user tries to make an exclusive reservation for MFP-B in the state shown in FIG.

  FIGS. 27A, 27B, and 27C are diagrams showing the format of an exclusive reservation-related command used for exclusive reservation processing. FIG. 27A shows a reservation status confirmation command, and FIG. b) shows a reservation status response command, and FIG. FIGS. 28A, 28B, and 29 are diagrams showing changes in the reservation management table 1700. FIG. 28A shows an initial state, FIG. 28B shows a state after accepting a reservation, and FIG. The state after exclusive reservation is prohibited is shown.

  For example, it is assumed that the user 20a of the digital multifunction peripheral 20 makes an occupation reservation indicating that the digital multifunction peripheral 20 is to be occupied between 9:00 and 10:00. Then, the exclusive reservation in the digital multifunction device 20 is completed, and the digital multifunction device 30 prohibits the acceptance of the exclusive reservation from 9:00 to 10:00 (reservation before the exclusive reservation is performed). (See W21 in FIG. 26 (a) showing the situation and W22 in FIG. 26 (b) showing the reservation situation after the exclusive reservation is made). This prevents an exclusive reservation for a certain time period from being made by all devices (here, MFP-A, MFP-B, and MFP-C). In the case of FIG. 12B, the exclusive reservation between 9:00 and 10:00 is prohibited in the MFP-C, and as a result, the exclusive reservation in this time zone is not accepted.

Hereinafter, the exclusive reservation processing of the present embodiment for obtaining such a result will be described in order in the following three phases.
(A) Reservation state collection phase (B) Reservation state confirmation phase (C) Reservation prohibition phase (A) Reservation state collection phase The user 20a operates the operation unit 180 of the digital multi-function device 20, and the above-described FIG. 4 to FIG. The exclusive reservation is executed in accordance with the procedure described above. Then, the digital multi-function peripheral 20 sends a reservation status confirmation command to all the cooperating devices shown in the reservation cooperation list (T11 in FIG. 11). In this example, a reservation status confirmation command is sent to the digital multifunction device 10 and the digital multifunction device 30.

  As shown in FIG. 27A, the reservation status confirmation command is composed of parameters of a reservation date, a reservation start time, and a reservation end time. In this state, the reservation management table 1700 remains in the initial state shown in FIG.

(B) Reservation Status Confirmation Phase First, processing of a device that has received a reservation status confirmation command will be described.

  The device that has received the reservation status confirmation command refers to the reservation management table 1700 of its own device, checks whether or not the time zone indicated by the reservation status confirmation command has been reserved, and sends a reservation status response command to the reservation status confirmation command. Reply to the original (T12, T22 in FIG. 11).

  As shown in FIG. 27B, the reservation status response command includes a reservation date, reservation start time, reservation end time, and reservation status status parameters. The status of the reservation status reflects “OK” or “NG” as a result of checking the reservation management table 1700. In the case of reservation, the status of reservation status is “NG”. On the other hand, if the reservation has not been made, the status of the reservation status is “OK”.

  Next, processing of the device that has received the reservation status response command will be described.

  The device that has received the reservation status response command stores the reservation status indicated by the reservation status response command in the reservation status temporary storage table 1750. From the reservation state temporary storage table 1750 and the information of the reservation cooperation list, it is checked whether or not there are one or more devices with no exclusive reservation other than the own device. If one or more devices with no exclusive reservation exist in addition to the own device, the reservation is completed, and if there is no device with no exclusive reservation other than the own device, it is determined that the reservation is impossible. As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 described above, either the reservation is completed or the reservation is impossible.

  In the example of FIG. 24, since the digital multifunction peripheral 30 has no exclusive reservation other than the digital multifunction peripheral 20, the digital multifunction peripheral 20 is set to the reservation completed state. The reservation management table 1700 is in the state shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 28 (b), the digital multi-function peripheral 20 has “reservation date: 2006/06/06, reservation start time: 9:00, reservation end time: 10:00, device name: MFP-B, A reservation record indicating “user name: tanaka” is added.

(C) Reservation Prohibition Phase First, processing of a device that has received a reservation status response command will be described.

  The device that has received the reservation status response command checks whether the number of devices with no exclusive reservation is one from the reservation status indicated by the reservation status response command. As a result of checking, if there is one remaining device, a reservation prohibit command is sent to the remaining one device to prohibit acceptance of the exclusive reservation.

  In this example, a device other than the digital multifunction device 20 that is not reserved for 9:00 to 10:00 is a digital multifunction device 30 (MFP-C). Therefore, the digital multifunction peripheral 20 sends a reservation prohibit command to the digital multifunction peripheral 30.

  As shown in FIG. 27C, the reservation prohibition command is composed of parameters of prohibition date, prohibition start time, and prohibition end time. The reservation management table 1700 is in the state shown in FIG. The digital multi-function peripheral 30 adds a reservation prohibition state to the reservation management table 1700. As shown in FIG. 29, the digital multi-function peripheral 30 has “reservation date: 2006/06/06, reservation start time: 9:00, reservation end time: 10:00, device name: MFP-C, status: prohibited”. Add a record that prohibits reservation.

<Internal device processing related to exclusive reservation processing>
The reservation prohibition flow is the same as that in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG.

(A) Reservation execution flow FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing a reservation execution process according to the second embodiment.

  This process is executed by the digital multi-function peripheral in which the user performs the exclusive reservation service execution operation.

  In this process, the exclusive reservation is executed by the user's operation, the reservation status confirmation command is sent to all the cooperating devices, the reservation status response command is received, and the reservation of the linked device in the exclusive reservation time zone is performed. Store state. Next, the remaining number of devices without exclusive reservation and the device name of the devices are checked, and after determining whether the reservation is completed or not, the reservation management table 1700 is updated and notified to the user. Finally, the number of devices without exclusive reservation is checked again to determine the necessity of reservation prohibition, and if necessary, a reservation prohibition instruction is issued. Hereinafter, a specific description will be given with reference to FIG.

  First, in step S4000, execution of exclusive reservation from the user is accepted, and the process proceeds to step S4001. This step is a state where the reservation execution button 2210 in FIG. 7 is pressed. In the next step S4001, a reservation status confirmation command is sent to all the cooperating devices shown in the reservation cooperation list, and the process proceeds to step S4002. As shown in FIG. 27A, the reservation status confirmation command is composed of parameters of a reservation date, a reservation start time, and a reservation end time.

  In step S4002, the reservation state response command is received, the reservation status indicated by the reservation state response command is stored in the reservation state temporary storage table 1750, and the process proceeds to step S4003. In step S4003, it is checked from the reservation state temporary storage table 1750 and the information of the reservation cooperation list whether or not there are one or more devices with no exclusive reservation other than the own device. If there is one or more devices with no exclusive reservation other than the own device, the process proceeds to step S4004. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S4008.

  In step S4004, a reservation record is added as reservation information to the reservation management table 1700, and the process proceeds to step S4005. In step S4005, the remaining number of devices with no exclusive reservation is checked again from the reservation state temporary storage table 1750 and the information of the reservation cooperation list. If there is only one device with no exclusive reservation, the process proceeds to step S4006; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S4007.

  In step S4006, a reservation prohibit command is sent to the only device without exclusive reservation stored in the reservation state temporary storage table 1750, and the process proceeds to step S4007. In step S4007, the user is notified of the completion of the reservation, and the process ends. At this time, the reservation completion screen of FIG. 8 is displayed.

  On the other hand, in step S4008, the user is notified that reservation is not possible, and the process ends. At this time, a reservation impossible screen shown in FIG. 9 is displayed.

  Also in this embodiment, the same advantages as those in the first embodiment can be obtained.

  The object of the present invention is achieved by executing the following processing. That is, a storage medium that records a program code of software that implements the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied to a system or apparatus, and a computer (or CPU, MPU, etc.) of the system or apparatus is stored in the storage medium. This is the process of reading the code.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code and the storage medium storing the program code constitute the present invention.

  Moreover, the following can be used as a storage medium for supplying the program code. For example, floppy (registered trademark) disk, hard disk, magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, DVD-RW, DVD + RW, magnetic tape, nonvolatile memory card, ROM or the like. Alternatively, the program code may be downloaded via a network.

  Further, the present invention includes a case where the function of the above-described embodiment is realized by executing the program code read by the computer. In addition, an OS (operating system) running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on an instruction of the program code, and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing. Is also included.

  Furthermore, a case where the functions of the above-described embodiment are realized by the following processing is also included in the present invention. That is, the program code read from the storage medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. Thereafter, based on the instruction of the program code, the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing system including a digital multi-function peripheral that is a processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a controller unit of the digital multifunction peripheral in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows an example of the content of the reservation management table in FIG. It is a display screen figure which shows the ready screen of a digital multi-function peripheral. FIG. 6 is a display screen diagram illustrating a user login screen when using an exclusive reservation service in a digital multifunction peripheral. FIG. 10 is a display screen diagram showing a free time confirmation screen when using an exclusive reservation service in a digital multifunction peripheral. FIG. 11 is a display screen diagram illustrating a reservation execution screen when using an exclusive reservation service in a digital multifunction peripheral. FIG. 12 is a display screen diagram illustrating a confirmation screen for an execution result of exclusive reservation when the exclusive reservation service is used in the digital multifunction peripheral. FIG. 12 is a display screen diagram illustrating a confirmation screen for an execution result of exclusive reservation when the exclusive reservation service is used in the digital multifunction peripheral. FIG. 10 is a display screen diagram illustrating a screen displayed when an exclusive reservation time is reached when an exclusive reservation service is used in a digital multifunction peripheral. It is a schematic diagram which shows the flow of the exclusive reservation process utilized on the printing system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the time slot | zone of the exclusive reservation time set to each digital multifunction peripheral. It is a figure which shows the format of the exclusive reservation related command used for an exclusive reservation process. It is a figure which shows the transition of a reservation management table. It is a figure which shows the transition of a reservation management table. It is a flowchart which shows the reservation execution process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the reservation reception process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the reservation prohibition process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the problem in the conventional printing system. It is a figure for demonstrating the problem in the conventional printing system. It is a figure for demonstrating the advantage in the printing system which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the advantage in the printing system which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the controller unit of the digital multifunctional device which is a processing apparatus which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the reservation state temporary storage table in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the flow of the exclusive reservation process utilized on the printing system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the time slot | zone of the exclusive reservation time set to each digital multifunction peripheral. It is a figure which shows the format of the exclusive reservation related command used for an exclusive reservation process. It is a figure which shows the transition of a reservation management table. It is a figure which shows the transition of a reservation management table. It is a flowchart which shows the reservation execution process which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

10, 20, 30 Digital MFP 40, 50 Host computer 90 Local area network 1700 Reservation management table 1710 Reservation linkage list 1720 Reservation master flag 1730 Reservation master device name holding unit 1750 Reservation state temporary storage table

Claims (11)

A processing device capable of communicating with a plurality of devices,
Storage means for storing reservation information relating to a reservation for using a specific device during a certain period ;
Detecting means for referring to the reservation information to detect the number of the devices that have no reservation in a specific period;
Wherein the number detected by said detecting means and control means for controlling such a case a predetermined number, does not accept the reservation of the specified period against the device is not reserved to the particular time period A processing device. When the number detected by the detection unit is a predetermined number, the control unit issues an instruction for not accepting the reservation for the specific period to a device that has no reservation for the specific period. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein control is performed so as not to accept a reservation for the specific period for the device. Accepting means for accepting a reservation request for the reservation of the device in the specific period from the device;
A determination unit that determines whether or not a reservation is possible by referring to the reservation information stored in the storage unit in accordance with the reservation request;
2. An update means for adding reservation information indicating reservation of the device in the specific period to the storage means when the determination means determines that a reservation is possible. Or the processing apparatus of 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of devices is a printing apparatus having a printing function.   A processing device capable of communicating with other processing devices,
Storage means for storing reservation information regarding a reservation for using a specific device for a certain period for each of the processing device and the other processing device;
  Detecting means for referring to the reservation information and detecting the number of the processing apparatus and the other processing apparatuses that have no reservation in a specific period;
  When the number detected by the detection unit is a predetermined number, the control unit includes a control unit that controls a processing apparatus that has no reservation in the specific period so as not to accept a reservation for the specific period. A processing device. When the number detected by the detection unit is a predetermined number, the control unit issues an instruction for not accepting a reservation for the specific period to a processing apparatus that has no reservation for the specific period. 6. The processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein control is performed so as not to accept a reservation for the specific period for the processing apparatus.   Accepting means for accepting a reservation request for the reservation of the other processing device in the specific period from the other processing device;
  A determination unit that determines whether or not a reservation is possible by referring to the reservation information stored in the storage unit in accordance with the reservation request;
And updating means for adding reservation information indicating reservation of the other processing device in the specific period to the storage means when it is determined by the determining means that reservation is possible. The processing apparatus according to claim 5 or 6.   The processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processing apparatus and the other processing apparatus are printing apparatuses having a print processing function. A method for controlling a processing apparatus capable of communicating with a plurality of devices,
A storage step for storing reservation information regarding a reservation for using a specific device during a certain period ;
A detection step of referring to the reservation information to detect the number of devices that have no reservation in a specific period of the plurality of devices ;
If the number detected by said detection step is a predetermined number, and characterized by a control step of controlling so as not to accept a reservation for the specific period against the device is not reserved to the particular time period Control method to do.   A method for controlling a processing device capable of communicating with another processing device,
A storage step of storing reservation information related to a reservation to use a specific device for a certain period for each of the processing device and the other processing device;
  A detection step of referring to the reservation information to detect the number of the processing device and the other processing devices that have no reservation in a specific period;
  And a control step of controlling so that a reservation for the specific period is not accepted for a processing apparatus that has no reservation in the specific period when the number detected by the detection step is a predetermined number. Control method to do. Program for causing execution of the control method according to the computer to claim 9 or 10.

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